Messenger of the Gods
by Athena Sapphire
Summary: When Caeli Jayde (Revan) vanishes into the unknown, taking Athena Sapphire with her, Mission Vao and Dustil Onasi, along with help from a mysterious young man whose familiarity they can't place, must search the galaxy over for a clue as to where they've gone. LSF Revan/Carth Dustil/OC. Rated T cuz I'm paranoid and I swear.
1. Prologue

**A/N: All right, here's a little teaser for you. I've completely remodeled. The other one? Forget it happened. Or, you know, if you liked it you can remember it, but it's no longer relevant to the plot. So, yeah, it's my birthday and I'm feeling charitable, so here's the prologue for you. I've discovered how much faster I can write when I'm actually excited about what I'm writing! I've already got 23 chapters (a lot of them are on the shorter side, I've got about 20,000 words) and counting! No guarantees when I'll be posting again, but like I said, birthday charitableness. Hope you're intrigued enough to keep reading when I post again! **

Prologue

His head was killing him. All he could remember was a blinding white pain, flashing before his eyes, followed immediately by the comfort of darkness. But the light, clearly, had left an impression. The throbbing in his head was enough to tell him that.

Was he awake? He couldn't answer the question. But he was feeling pain, so he must be. Sensation was slowly returning as he felt something gently tickling his face. He still couldn't see, couldn't tell whether his eyes were open or closed.

He heard voices, but he couldn't discern words, or they didn't make sense to him. "He's regaining consciousness." That much he could understand. They must be talking about him. "Until we know what happened to him, there's no way of helping him any more."

"Get Mission," said another voice. That didn't make sense. Was Mission a person? Were they on a mission? How had they found him, and where? Why couldn't he remember?

He tried for several minutes, random details flashing through his mind-things he remembered of his life. A name that was important to him. Claire. Who was she? Why didn't he know?

And something else, a title, something… The Messengers… and a name. The only one he could remember, though he was sure there were more… Gideon Stewart.

Gideon. He liked the name. Since he couldn't remember his own, he'd take that one.

Minutes later, he heard voices again.

"...found him on Korriban. One of our scout teams picked him up. The planet's still completely abandoned, the Republic bombed it to basically rubble, but he crawled out of one of the tombs in the valley."

Korriban. The word was familiar, somehow.

"Do you think he could be connected to your friend, somehow?"

"Athena?" A new voice spoke up. He could almost see her shaking her head from her tone of voice, even though he had no idea what she looked like. "Athena's gone. Revan took her to the Unknown Regions."

Revan. That was a big spark. Revan? But that didn't make any sense…

A flood of memories overtook him, his entire life rushing back, and then he was gone.

**A/N: Yeah, this guy will feature kinda heavily. There's a reason for it though, you just wait. There'll be a lot of Mission and Dustil, and even a little thing with Athena that occurred to me. I salvaged a couple of the chapters, so you may recognize them if you read the other one, but other than that, it's all brand new and I'm excited. Hope you all are excited too! Send me a review if you can, even if you're just saying happy birthday or yay you're back or something. Even a smiley face will do. You all are so awesome for tolerating me, seriously. **

**-Athena**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own this. Not sure if I put that in the prologue, but I don't own that either. **

**A/N: All right guys, let's get rolling! A huge thanks to anyone who reviewed, I'm so glad to see at least some of you all stuck around even after my unforgivably long hiatus! Also welcome to all the new folks! I really hope this story lives up to all your standards. Without further ado, let's get on with Chapter 1!**

Chapter 1: Mission

Thalia May led her into the medical center they'd set up in the abandoned, still mostly intact, Sandral estate. The Sith who'd deserted when Revan descended on the colony had fled the civil war on Korriban to join the Jedi, only to find the Enclave in flames. But they'd stayed, trying to help the people who were left there recover and rebuild. They'd send scout teams back to Korriban from time to time, stealing supplies and assessing the situation. Even after the planet was abandoned and the Republic had bombed the Academy into oblivion, they still searched. And they reported any interesting findings to Mission Vao.

Their numbers had been few at the beginning, only about ten, but over time, especially after Malak's defeat, other Sith survivors who had seen the error of their ways but didn't want to join the Jedi had sought refuge with Thalia. Four years after Malak's fall, their numbers were well over a hundred, and they had set up a colony of sorts, helping the surviving farmers to rebuild and continue farming, as well as defending them from the wildlife.

They hadn't found anything interesting on their missions to Korriban in almost two years, and Mission had been wondering why they didn't just stop the missions altogether, but they kept doing it, searching the ruins for artifacts, supplies, anything they could find to help their settlement. And then, after the most recent mission, they had contacted her.

A young man, they said, in unusual clothes had been found outside the tomb of Ajunta Pall. He was unarmed, and he bore in his pocket a strange device which seemed electronic, but could not be turned on. By the time Mission had arrived the previous day, he had already been there for almost a week, unconscious the entire time.

But now, they said, he was regaining consciousness. Thalia thought he might somehow be connected to Athena. Mission was not so hopeful, but she figured she might as well check it out-she had nothing better to do anyway.

Stepping into the medcenter, she glanced over at the young man. He had a square jaw, with short brown hair on the lighter side, as well as a scruffy-looking half-beard. He wore distinctive sandals with rubber soles and diagonally-crossed straps, as well as a T-shirt with what looked like a Mandalorian helmet made of differently colored music notes and cargo shorts. His sunglasses, the lenses a shiny bluish-purple color, had been folded on the table next to his bed. And his brown eyes, eyes which had the tiniest touch of green, were slowly blinking open.

Slowly, as they finally opened without shutting again, the eyes focused on her.

"So it is true…" he muttered.

"I'm Mission Vao," she told him. "What's your name?"

"I lost my memory," he stated, eyes unfocused, "but it's back now. Sort of. Gideon," he added, focusing on Mission again. "Gideon… Stewart." His hesitation made her suspicious, but she chose not to comment on that.

"What do you remember?"

"Don't know how I got to Korriban," he said. "My sister, Claire… she just disappeared… maybe that happened to me, too. What's happened, what's going on? In the galaxy, I mean?"

His memory must still be recovering, Mission thought. "Darth Malak, Lord of the Sith, was defeated by Revan four years ago." She figured that was as good a place as any to start. "You're on Dantooine."

"But it was destroyed! Right?" He still looked confused.

Mission nodded. "Some renegade Sith students from Korriban fled here and started helping the settlers rebuild. They've been at it for almost three years, and they've got a colony now. They're the ones who rescued you from Korriban. You still have no idea how you got there?"

He shook his head, and she thought she heard him mutter, "...coat, or…" She decided not to question it.

"I need to contact Dustil," she decided, speaking more to herself than him. "He's been studying Force healing, he might be able to help you."

"Dustil Onasi?" he asked. "Carth's son?"

She looked back at him. "I didn't know people knew Carth had a son."

He shook his head. "I don't know how I knew that." He looked up at her, eyes wide and somewhat scared-looking. "I just did."

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Twenty-one," he responded.

"All right, Gideon Stewart." Mission decided that was enough questioning for the time being. "You should get some rest, you're still not completely healed from… whatever happened to you."

He nodded, smirking slightly, and when she saw the expression on his face, she did a double-take. There was something startlingly familiar about this young man, almost as though she'd seen him before. Had she? I think I'd remember, she told herself. But there was that strange familiarity in his expression… Maybe it was a dream. Or a Force vision or something. Whatever, it doesn't really matter. We just have to get him better and figure out who he really is. She had her own suspicions about this Gideon character, and most of her instincts agreed that he was not nearly as ignorant as he was claiming to be.

**A/N: So what do you think? Opinions, questions, suspicions? Post a review. I promise it'll get more interesting in a few chapters, we've just got to get it going. You all are wonderful, and again, thanks for sticking around with this story! It means a lot to me. See you all next time I feel like posting! **

**-Athena **


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own stuff. All hail the great LucasArts, etc. etc. **

**A/N: Hey again! I got bored so I'm posting another chapter. I'll probably end up doing once a day until I run out, 'cause I'm still writing the thing. As I mentioned before, the chapters are a bit shorter (or a lot shorter, in the case of this one) but I'll have longer ones sometimes. If Gideon seems a little vague at first... it's because he's meant to be. You're not meant to know all about him until a lot later. Anywayyyy, I'll let you all get to reading. Have fun and such. Huzzah and all that. **

Chapter 2: Gideon

Gideon watched Mission walk away, as relieved as he was apprehensive. He had managed to convince her that his memory loss was still present, and that his memories were returning in small chunks as opposed to one massive tidal wave like they had in reality. But, assuming his memories were true (and given where he was right now, he wouldn't be altogether surprised if they weren't), his current position made no sense. He remembered Thalia May, Mission Vao, and a few others he knew by sight from the Sith academy. He had no doubt that they would have no memory of him, though he had seen a flash of recognition in Mission's face before she turned away. But if she had recognized him, maybe that meant she had seen Claire. His sister had disappeared more than two years ago, true, but she had to be around somewhere. If she wasn't… why had he been sent in the first place?

Why The Messengers had been one of the only things he remembered at the beginning, he had no idea. Well, he supposed, he did think about it rather a lot. He was, after all, the author of the darn thing. And when Claire had disappeared he'd lost a damn good editor, too. He'd lost a lot more than that, but… he tried not to think about it. It hurt too much. The only thing he had left was clinging to his undying belief that his little sister. was. not. dead. And he would find her if it was the last thing he ever did, even if it took him the rest of his life.

And now he was here. There had to be a reason for that. And the reason had to be Claire. It made no sense otherwise.

His goal now: keep Mission and anyone else who asked him questions in the dark. He had no doubt that they would probably be able to help him, but he didn't want to run the risk of trusting them too quickly. He hated to be so paranoid, but he couldn't do anything else, really. For all he knew, this was some sort of trap. It might as well be, going by how little sense it made.

For now, he would recover physically and pretend to be trying to recover mentally while failing miserably. He couldn't afford for them to find out who he really was. He had far too much to lose to allow that to happen.

**A/N: Yeah, like I said, really short and vague. If you have questions, put them in a review or a PM and I'll PM you a response or a reason why I won't give you a response, depending on the question. You all are the best, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing (also following/favoriting, but reviews are the best). Happy day! See you all next time I update! (And I mean it, if you review I will love you forever and get this happy bubbly feeling inside, etc.) Bye!**

**-Athena**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Still. Sadface. **

**A/N: So it's me again. Here we have a bit of Dustil... gotta love him right? I'm not feeling particularly articulate at the moment so excuse me, but here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Dustil

"You're right," he agreed with Mission immediately. "He looks familiar. I know I've seen him somewhere… but I'd be prepared to swear I've never seen him in my life. It's the weirdest thing."

"I've seen weirder," Mission pointed out. "Athena's situation, for one."

Dustil bit his bottom lip, the reminder of that wound still too fresh in his mind even after three years without her. Tuning out the rest of what Mission was saying, he descended into memories, wondering where he'd be without her. Of course, now he was without her, but… what about before? What would have happened to him in the Sith academy if Athena hadn't been there? Would he have gotten angry with his father for being with Revan?

He knew the answer to that: a resounding yes. When he found out they were, as Athena called it, a 'thing,' he had been furious. It felt like his father was trying to replace Dustil's mother, when he hadn't even been there for them in the first place.

He remembered Athena, with surprising strength, seizing him by the shirt and dragging him away from where he had been about to confront his father with every feeling of righteous (so he thought) indignation he had been bottling up. She shoved him into a chair in the crew quarters and demanded "What do you think you're doing?"

He shook off her hand. "I have every right!" he snapped. It wasn't the first time they'd fought, and he had no reservations. "He can't just run around the galaxy and pick up any woman he wants and replace my mother when he wasn't even there for us in the first place! He did nothing to prevent her dying! He wasn't even with us when it happened! He-"

Athena, who had been facing the opposite wall, spun to face him and he stopped talking instantly. She was wearing a look she usually reserved for their most bitter enemies-her 'stop talking right now or I will literally carve out your internal organs' face. Her eyes were frozen in a cold rage, and the right side of her upper lip was curled slightly. Her left eyebrow was raised in a challenge, daring him to continue speaking. He didn't.

When she spoke, her voice was so calm it terrified him. "Do you want your father to be happy, Dustil?" she asked quietly. "Or do you want him to be the empty shell of a man he was for so long, with no purpose but revenge for what was taken from him, trusting no one for fear of injury to what little remained of his shattered heart?" Dustil flinched to hear that description of his father. It hurt more because he knew it was true, or it had been for a long time. "He was trying, Dustil. For years, he fought. For you. For Morgana. For your entire damn planet. He gave all he had to try and create a world in which you could be safe. And then his closest friend betrayed his trust and took away all that he had left: his family. All those years, Dustil, he was trying. He wanted so badly to be a father to you, and for you to think of him as a father and not as some random stranger who showed up from time to time. And then Morgana was killed, and you were lost, and he looked for you Dustil, he looked everywhere, the last tiny shreds of his heart clinging to the absolute certainty, growing more uncertain by the day but which he was still unwilling to let go, that you were still alive somewhere and that he'd find you someday. He stopped looking when consistent failure became too much for him to bear, when the facts were consistently standing up against his insistence that he was going to find you. The galaxy was too big. You could be anywhere.

"And so he locked his heart in a box of mistrust, never really making friends for fear of betrayal. And then Caeli showed up. And she started attacking that heavily fortified box, first with a small hammer, then a pickaxe, then a battering ram of stubbornness, kindness, understanding, and, yes, love. Not at first, they used to fight all the time. But he allowed himself to trust because, how could this wonderful, loving person who rescued people at great personal risk and sacrifice, how could she possibly turn on him?

"And then she was Revan. And he tried to hold it against her, and he tried to hate her. He tried as hard as he could, but there was a disconnect. Revan and Caeli weren't the same person. But you know this already.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, have you thought about where he'd be without her? Or where she'd be without him? The Dark Side, probably. And then where would the galaxy be? They need each other. She healed him, and he saved her. He's not trying to replace your mother, Dustil. Caeli… she's good for him. And she's not just any woman, she's the most amazing woman I've ever met. Can you say differently? I mean… Dustil, are you actually selfish enough to try to take away your father's happiness for… no offense, but really stupid reasons?"

Dustil sighed and slumped back in the chair, all the fight gone out of him. "No," he admitted finally. "No, I can't do that. I… thank you, Athena."

"Hey, I've always wanted to stand up for one of my OTPs like that."

"What's a-?"

"Never mind." Athena reached out a hand to help him out of the chair, and almost before he knew it her lips were on his, and his tongue was running along her bottom lip-

"Dustil."

He flinched, knowing he'd been caught. "What?"

"I think the guy knows more than he's telling us," Mission continued raising an eyebrow to indicate that she had noticed but had elected not to comment. "If we can find out if he's from… you know, another universe, it might help us figure out how they're getting here." By 'they' she obviously meant Athena, and the guy in the medcenter, if he was in the same situation. But he looked so familiar, Dustil was almost sure he'd seen him before…

"He's saying he's lost some of his memory," said Mission. "I want you to see if you can heal him. HIs mind at least. He can heal physically on his own."

Dustil's eyes widened. "You want me to mess around in someone's head? I've never healed a brain before, nor do I have any experience whatsoever with memory loss. Revan would be the best choice for that."

"Caeli," said Mission, putting special emphasis on the name, "isn't available right now, unfortunately. We're going to have to deal with this ourselves. At least take a look at his mind, okay? I want to know if he's lying to us, and how much. Just to, you know, see if he's a threat to us."

"Athena was lying to us," Dustil pointed out. "She wasn't a threat."

"Yeah, well, you were furious when you found out, as I recall. And that was different, she was lying for… for her own safety I guess. And because no one would have believed the truth."

"All right," Dustil conceded. "But I'll just tell you now, if I were in his position, I'd be lying to everyone too. If only out of a sense of self-preservation." He turned and walked back to the medcenter.

**A/N: So, thoughts? One tiny comment? A smiley face? Take a few seconds to review, it'll really make my day. No joke. You're all wonderful and I'll be back soon with the next chapter!**

**-Athena**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Most of these characters do not belong to me. Also the planets, technology, anything else that belongs to LucasArts and Bioware and Obsidian (for KotOR 2 content) *ahem* **

**A/N: So... I disappeared without meaning to for a few days. The short explanation is that I had a ton of homework all dumped on me at once, and I'm sure you don't really want to hear the long explanation. So anyway, I'm back! I'm uploading 2 chapters to make up for the absence. So yes. Here you go. **

Chapter 4: Dustil

The young man was propped up in his bed, turning over his sunglasses in his hands, staring at them as if he wasn't really seeing them. When Dustil walked in, he looked up.

"You Dustil Onasi?" he asked.

Dustil nodded. "Yes. Mission told you about me?"

The man nodded without speaking.

"Then you're aware that she wants me to try and heal your mind?"

He nodded again. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Don't worry," Dustil reassured him. "I won't be messing with your mind at all, I'm just going to look and see if there are any memories that are buried, and what's blocking them from the surface. Is that all right?"

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Be careful."

"I will." Dustil paused. "What's your name?"

"Gideon. Gideon Stewart."

"Nice to meet you. Now try to stay calm. I've only done this a few times, but I'm told it doesn't hurt. Much." It was a lie: he'd never done it before in his life, but he wasn't about to tell Gideon that: it might discourage him from allowing Dustil access to his thoughts.

"Comforting," said Gideon, as Dustil put a hand on either side of his head and closed his eyes.

_Memories flashed by-a childhood, calling out as speeders flew by overhead, a little girl with wild curly blonde hair who looked almost exactly like Gideon, an academy, throwing a ball with friends, a decorative city, monuments and statues adorning the streets, a small bird in a large cage, a fluffy white dog. Whenever he tried to see details, however, or specific scenes, he was diverted: a wall or a block was in place, and whether or not Gideon was responsible could not be determined. But in almost every scene, the girl returned, growing older every time, but also less distinct, until the flashes he saw weren't enough to piece together a clear image. But there was a name associated with her, as well as concern and love, the protectiveness of an older brother. The name was Claire._

Dustil jerked back with a gasp, staring at Gideon.

"Are you all right?" the other man asked.

Dustil nodded, looking at him wide-eyed. "Your mind is strong. Whether or not you are responsible for the blocks in it, I can't tell, but it's structured differently than any mind I've ever seen. The memories are vague, and if I attempt to zoom in on one, I'm diverted back to the stream of your life flowing by. I can see your sister until she's about twelve, then she's blocked as well. But I could feel… you're worried about her. She's lost, she's gone missing, been kidnapped, something, and you're searching for her. Am I right?"

He nodded, his impenetrable mask slipping to reveal a look of worry.

"What happened to her?" Dustil asked gently, not wanting to provoke the man or open old (or new) wounds.

"She disappeared. One day, in the middle of the night without a trace. That two years ago."

"I'm sorry." Dustil paused. "I can't make any promises," he began, "but maybe Mission and I could help you find her. We're sort of… looking for someone ourselves."

"Who?"

"Our friends. Caeli Jayde-better known to the galaxy as Revan-disappeared as well, about a year after Malak fell. And she took Athena with her."

Gideon had looked faintly bored-as though he already knew-until Athena had been mentioned. At the mention of her name, his eyes shot open and he stared at Dustil in wonder and confusion. "Who's Athena?" he demanded insistently.

Dustil, feeling slightly apprehensive, decided to go with the short version. "She was a member of our party-a slave Caeli rescued from Davik's estate on Taris. She was vital to redeeming her from her brief fall to the Dark side."

Gideon must have seen something in his face, because he looked at him knowingly. "You… cared about Athena, didn't you?"

Dustil nodded, staring at the floor. "My father and I both lost… well, someone important… when Revan and Athena left. All they left behind was a note from Revan telling Father to forget about her, that she had gone to the Unknown Regions to seek something from her past and was taking Athena with her for… personal reasons. From the note, it sounded like she wasn't planning to return. Ever since, Mission and I have wanted to go after her, but… we have no way of knowing where they went."

"I'm sorry," said Gideon softly. "I don't know exactly how you must feel, but losing someone you care about… I've been there."

"How are your fighting skills?" Dustil asked suddenly.

"Not bad. I had some training with swords a few years ago. I've also been learning some martial arts in the past year. I don't have much experience with ranged weapons, but I do have enough to get by in a pinch, probably, depending on the skill of the enemy."

"Good. When you've recovered, I'll take you to Telos. I've got my own ship now, the Archangel. We'll train you a bit more, and then we'll keep looking for leads on where they might have gone, as well as any clues on the whereabouts of your sister."

Gideon nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Dustil Onasi. If you help me find my sister… I'll owe you. And hopefully we'll be able to help you find your friends, as well."

"We'll see about that when the time comes. For now, rest. We won't be able to go anywhere until you're fully healed."

Gideon nodded again as Dustil turned and left the room.

**A/N: Anywayyy... for those of you who might think Gideon's defenses are stronger than they should be, yes there is a reason, no I'm not going to tell you the reason. Now I've cleared that up, I hope you lot enjoyed the chapter! Again, sorry for the extended leave of absence. I blame college. Leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. (they motivate me. I know everyone says this but it's actually true.) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and have a lovely day/evening/night/whatever it happens to be when you read this!**

**-Athena**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own Athena. (At least I sincerely hope I do, cuz she's basically me). I don't own anything else. Understood? Good. **

**A/N: So yeah, I know I said I'd post 2 chapters but it'll actually be 3, because this one is an excerpt I was able to salvage from the original version of this. So it'll be this one and then one more after. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Athena

Shortly after our departure for the Unknown Regions

She was still there. Still sitting in that chair. I felt a pang of emotion, but I suppressed it almost immediately. This had to be done.

I walked up behind her, not exactly stealthily, but still quietly. She tensed, indicating that she was aware of my presence, but she didn't speak.

"Caeli," I said softly for what seemed like the hundredth time. I'd been trying to reach her for two days now, and nothing had worked.

"What?" The retort was meant to be harsh, but it was drowned in sadness.

"You can't sit here moping the entire trip, Cael," I insisted, using the nickname I had given her during our travels together.

"Moping?!" Again, meant to be harsher than it was. "I'm not moping!" she cried indignantly. Then she choked back a sob. I guessed why. What she had just said was highly reminiscent of something Carth had once said to her. I mentally slapped myself in the face and tried again, switching to my guilt-trip tactic.

"I have no one to talk to except the droids and Val, and I don't speak Astro, HK refuses to translate, and all he does is whine about not having anything to kill! And Val is just… Val. Please, Caeli, give me a break here!"

She spun the pilot's chair, Carth's chair, around, and I took a step back, legitimately frightened.

She was a mess. Her hair was matted and tangled, like she hadn't brushed it in days. Her eyes were bloodshot and red and puffy, and they were still swimming with tears. Tear tracks glistened on her face. In fact, she bore a striking resemblance to the Caeli who had just discovered her identity as the Dark Lord Revan, and that was the furthest thing from good I could possibly imagine. She gave me the best glare she could muster, which was surprisingly good considering her current condition, and snapped, "You have no idea what I'm going through here, Athena! None! I don't even know why I brought you along, you've been nothing but an annoyance lately. Now, leave me alone!" She spun around again to glare out the windshield (do you call it a windshield if it's a spaceship?), but not before I heard another choked sob.

"Cael…" I whispered, instantly regretting snapping at her. She was right. I had no idea. I may have gone through pain before, but nothing like this.

"What?" This time she actually succeeded in sounding harsh. She didn't even bother to look at me, staring resolutely out the windshield.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know what you're going through-"

"No you don't!" Her voice cracked hysterically on the last word.

"-but I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like," I finished, slightly less calmly. "I'm sorry."

She sighed, all the fight leaving her with one breath. "So am I, Athena. So am I."

**A/N: Not really much to say here, so I'll just say have fun! And go read the next chapter!**

**-Athena**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: This is getting slightly redundant. You know the drill. **

**A/N: Yeah, here's the next chapter. It's been 5 seconds since I posted the last one. Have fun!**

Chapter 6: Gideon

_In his sleep, he saw the only thing that had occupied his waking thoughts consistently for so long: Claire. A familiar flash of golden-blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail. But she was dressed… differently. She was wearing armor, light gold, with a shiny stripe down both sides of the chest, and tight gray pants, with what looked like black leather combat boots. A shimmering sword was clutched in her hand._

_Her surroundings were hazy, but it looked like some kind of stone structure. As he watched, she started engaging an unseen enemy, swinging her sword with much more skill than he would have expected of her, having sparred with her once or twice before her disappearance. Then again, he supposed, she had been missing for two years. That was plenty of time to become a proficient swordsman (or swordswoman). Especially if she'd had a lot of practice._

_She lunged and stabbed with the sword, and her enemy (apparently, he still couldn't see it) was defeated in a shower of sparks._

_A droid, then, he thought. Could he think? Wasn't he dreaming? He didn't know._

_Claire, meanwhile, had spun on the spot and was engaging another enemy. This time, he thought he caught a glimpse of a red glow. A lightsaber? Was his sister skilled enough to fight Dark Jedi?_

_Just as the thought it, however, she was raised into the air by an invisible fist grasping her throat. Her sword clattered to the ground as her hands grabbed at the invisible force, seeking to remove it. Her eyes began to roll back into her head._

_But even as he tried to lunge forward to interfere, despite how futile he knew it was, a streak of orange light shot through his field of vision and Claire fell to the ground, the unseen enemy turning to engage the unseen rescuer. She massaged her throat for a few moments before grasping her sword and swiftly, decisively stabbing the Dark Jedi in the back._

_She stepped to the side and her sword fell to the ground with a clang as she leaned against the wall for support, breathing heavily. The last thing he saw as the haze overtook the whole vision was a gloved hand patting her shoulder in a reassuring manner, almost as though congratulating her…_

He bolted awake with a gasp and looked around. The medcenter was empty besides the medical droid on standby mode in the corner. Stars twinkled outside the window. He must have been sleeping for several hours. He lay back down slowly, turning onto his side, contemplating. If Claire was truly skilled enough to fight Dark Jedi like that… but that begged the question, where could she be? Dark Jedi weren't as uncommon now as they might have been right after Malak's defeat, but surely you didn't just run into them on the street. That had to narrow the options down somewhat. And she'd had someone with her, someone powerful, at least powerful enough to help kill a Dark Jedi. And that someone had a lightsaber. A Jedi? Weren't they all in hiding by now? After what happened at Katarr…

He didn't know. All he knew was that this wasn't the first time he'd seen a vision of his sister since he showed up on Korriban. And each time, she was getting clearer. He was inexplicably drawn to her, as though a voice within her was calling out to him. Sooner or later, he would know where she was. And Dustil had promised to help him find her. And then they would search for Revan. That was someone he'd wanted to meet ever since… well, for a long time. But until now, that hadn't even been anywhere close to possible.

He sighed again and closed his eyes. He might as well get some rest, he thought. The droids had said he would be ready to leave within a week, and he was impatient to make sure he was a decent fighter and get searching for his sister. Also, if this went as he thought it was going to go, there were some others he would like to meet as well…

He drifted off again, and this time his dreams were undisturbed and peaceful.

**A/N: Mmmm visions. Gotta love 'em. Comment or review or something! (masterdude94, don't feel obligated to review all three because they all came at the same time, but feel free if you want to! :D) Also have a great rest of your day, however long that may be! May the Force be with you. **

**-Athena**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: KotOR I do not own. Or whatever. **

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back again. Hermmm... this is another shorty (those kind of happen a lot until I actually get into the plot a little bit... sorry about that XP) but I might upload again later today or tomorrow. Especially since I have a chemistry thing I'm procrastinating on... well anyway. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 7: Mission

It took another four days before Gideon was fully recovered. On the fifth, Mission talked to the medical droid and Thalia, who released Gideon, albeit reluctantly, saying he should remain under medical observation until his memory was fully recovered.

Mission rolled her eyes. "Oh, please," she muttered, "If that was the case, Caeli would have been institutionalized for years. She'd probably still be 'under medical observation,' except let me guess, she was a 'special case.' That's what the Jedi Council said about her, too. Gideon will be fine."

"Is there any doubt of that?" said Gideon's voice from where he had come to stand to her left.

Mission rolled her eyes. "Apparently memory loss is dangerous or something. Don't know why, I traveled with Caeli for ages and she was completely amnesiac and she was fine."

"Her mind had been specifically altered by the Jedi Council," said Thalia. "It's an entirely different-"

Gideon rolled his eyes, cutting her off. "Fine, fine, whatever. Am I free to go?"

Mission turned her gaze back on Thalia, who inclined her head. "Yes, you're free to go. But don't overexert yourself. The return of your memories may be violent and painful, and if it were to happen in the middle of a fight…" She left the thought hanging.

Gideon acknowledged her with a nod. "Understood. I'll be careful."

Mission walked outside with him, the silence heavy around them. "So, uh, have any more of your memories come back?" she asked him finally.

He nodded. "They're returning slowly, but in fragmented pieces. I can't make sense of most of them."

Silence reigned again for a few moments before Mission spoke up. "Um… Dustil told me about your sister. I'm sorry. If we can help in any way…"

"Dustil told me you could help me look for her."

"We can, once we have any idea where to look. That's been our problem with trying to find Caeli and Athena: they could be anywhere, in the galaxy or outside it, and we don't even know where to begin."

"I'm sorry about your friends as well," Gideon told her. He paused for a moment before continuing. "I've been having… visions… of my sister."

"Really? Do you know where she is?"

"No, not yet. I can't see much of her surroundings, but they're getting clearer with every vision. Sooner or later, I'll have some idea where to look. For now, all I can see is that she's in some sort of stone structure, and she's fighting droids and Dark Jedi."

"Well, keep digging. After so long of not being able to do anything, it'll be a relief to be able to do something useful, even if we still don't have a way to find Caeli."

Gideon nodded. "I understand. And if, when we find Claire, the two of us can help you at all…" He left the offer hanging.

Mission nodded. "Thanks, Gideon." She stared at him quizzically for a few more seconds, trying to figure out why he looked so darn familiar.

He raised his eyebrows in confusion, which only served to enhance the effect.

Mission threw up her hands. "See! You make faces like that, and you just look so familiar, and I don't know where I've seen you before, or your face, or whatever! Have we met?"

"Well... we have now, but I don't think we've ever met before this, no."

"Have I ever seen you before? Like were you in any of the places we traveled to and your face made an impression for some reason?"  
"I don't think you've ever seen me before, no," said Gideon carefully.

Unfortunately for him, Mission picked up on it. "But you've seen me? Where?"

"My memory is still a little hazy," he said slowly, "but you do look familiar. Like I've seen you somewhere but I don't remember where."

She shrugged. "Okay, have it your way. If you remember, let me know." She had her suspicions about him already, but she decided it was a good idea not to get on his bad side just yet, at least not until she figured out how dangerous he could be. "Let's go find Dustil."

**A/N; Yeeees, very suspicious indeed. So anyway, there you have it. Next chapter-in transit to Telos. A flashback which was in the original version of this. And some important discussion-y things. See you all soon!**

**-Athena **

**P.S. Review if you've got a few seconds :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah. I hope you're all getting this down. **

**A/N: So I'm back with another chapter. I'm not as sure about this one, but... well, let me know what you think. It could probably still use some work, but I figure I'll let you all be the judge of that. So anyway. Shippers... this is for you :)**

Chapter 8: Dustil

He was just about to go up the loading ramp into the Archangel when he heard the footsteps that could only mean Mission was coming with Gideon. Good. The anticipation that had been building within him for the past few days had almost become overwhelming. Finally, after so long of searching futilely, without hope of achieving his goal, he could actually do something. It felt good, it felt right, like maybe Gideon had been sent here for this exact reason.

He could still feel the sting of love and loss as he remembered with perfect clarity the day that Athena had disappeared…

_He sat in his bunk holding his holocom, waiting for Athena's daily call. In just a few more days he had some time off, and he'd be able to see her again. In person. Holocalls weren't the same. She was just an image. No touch._

_She had insisted when he first left that she would always be the one to call, so he waited. And he waited. His break was drawing to a close, and still there was nothing. Finally, as the break ended, he resigned himself to the fact that she must have been busy, something important was happening and she hadn't had time, but there was this tiny little voice in the back of his head: What could distract her so much she wouldn't have time for me? And he didn't know the answer. He'd just talk to her tomorrow, was all. It'd be fine._

_The voice piped up again, damn thing: What if she's not busy? What if she's hurt? What if she had to leave on a mission and she won't be back for ages? What if she just doesn't want to talk to you? Mostly irrational fears, to be honest, but he feared them nonetheless. _

_My Athena, his mind whispered protectively. If she was in danger and he wasn't there to protect her... he'd never forgive himself. She was always the one who saved him, after all. It was time he returned the favor. He knew what she'd say. She was strong, she didn't need protection, she could handle herself. That didn't mean he couldn't try, though._

_So he waited. He waited until the next day, when she was meant to call. He waited through the break, and still nothing. The tiny voice in his head wasn't so tiny anymore. It was practically screaming at him all the terrible things that could have happened to her, flashing accompanying mental images as it did so. He tried to shut it out. Not Athena. Anything but that. Have to protect her. She's important._

_And she was. By the Force, she was so important. And according to all the evidence, he'd lost her._

_The next day, as a last resort, he called her. Just to see if she would answer. The line was disconnected._

_He could literally feel his heart snap in half._

_A tear escaped his left eye before he could stop it, splashing onto the floor, making a miniature puddle in the dust._

_And so, as a last last resort, he commed his father._

_For a moment, he was afraid he wasn't going to pick up either, but eventually he did. He almost wished he hadn't called._

_Outwardly, he looked normal, except for his hair, which looked like he'd been constantly running his hands through it. It was when they made eye contact that Dustil was legitimately frightened. In the depths of his father's eyes was an unspeakable, gut-wrenghing sadness. Unbearable loss. But he was still holding it together. That had to be something, right? "Dustil."_

_"Father," Dustil replied. He paused for a moment, wondering what to ask, but it didn't matter. Carth would know. Judging by the look of him, he absolutely knew. "What happened?"_

_His father took a deep, calming breath, and Athena took the backseat for a brief moment. Seeing his father like this, it... it unnerved him. Carth was the strong one, always had been. Dustil had never once seen him cry. Then again, he hadn't been there when his mother had died._

_"Caeli's gone," he said at last, his voice steady, but lower than usual and devoid of expression. ._

_Dustil's heartbeat increased. There was that fear. He felt a clenching in his gut, knowing what was coming, not wanting to hear it, and yet needing to hear it all the same. He squeezed his eyes shut as if that would block out the inevitable. "And Athena?" he asked, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice. He heard a distinct tremble, his voice almost breaking over her name._

_Carth nodded. "With her."_

_"Did she say how long?" This, he was sure, was another question he didn't want to know the answer to._

_"They went to the Unknown Regions, Dustil. What do you think?" His voice remained steady, hardly varying as he asked the question. He took another breath, as though the next words caused him physical pain. They probably did. "She said... she told me to forget her. To move on." Another deep breath, as emotion started to creep back into his words. "How could she ask that of me?"_

_And that was when Dustil broke. If Revan, of all people, had told his father to forget her, there would be no return. A disappearance, not even a goodbye. That was all he got, and it was all he would ever get._

_No, damn it! his mind insisted. I. Will not. Let her go. I'll find her if I have to go to the ends of the universe and back._

And he would. Whatever it took. He had been struggling for so long, searching for something, anything to point them towards Caeli's and Athena's whereabouts. But now… there was a new player in the equation, and if Dustil was right, Gideon wasn't there just for decoration. He could help them. And they, in return, would help him. Because that's what they did.

Mission led the man aboard the Archangel and Dustil followed in their wake, closing the loading ramp as he reached the switch at the top. He passed through the main hold, complete with a holoterminal, and proceeded into the cockpit. A couple minutes later, he was joined by Mission.

"I told him to get some rest," she informed him, in explanation for Gideon's absence.

"Do you think he can help us?" Dustil asked.

Mission looked at him. "I don't know," she said. "But we can definitely help him. And… well, since we can't help ourselves, we might as well help someone else, right?"

Dustil tipped his head to one side curiously. "What do you mean?"

"He's been having visions, Dustil. Visions of his sister. He says… they're becoming clearer with time, She's in a stone structure, fighting Dark Jedi and droids. That's all he can tell right now, but… maybe he'll be able to see more clearly as time goes on."

"That doesn't help us find Athena, though." Dustil put his head in his hands. "I swore to myself I'd find her. But I don't even have the slightest idea where to start looking."

Mission put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Dustil. I know. You have to trust the Force, though. Athena was brought here for a reason and that turned out all right. If-"

"But what if she's 'fulfilled her purpose' or whatever? What if she went with Revan to find a way back home?"

"Then that's where she'll be happiest, Dustil," Mission replied in a gentle voice, but there was a barely detectable tremor within her words, as though she were trying to convince herself as well as him.

"Without even saying goodbye…" he muttered, more to himself than to Mission.

Mission closed her eyes. "It's the same reason that Caeli left a note for Carth instead of telling him in person." Her voice was lower and serious. "She was afraid that if she spoke to him, he'd try to convince her to stay. And he would succeed. Her resolve was so fragile, and by going out there… she's giving up so much… it's the same with Athena. She's torn between two worlds. She wants to see her family again, she doesn't want to abandon them or her friends at home, but now she has a family here too. And she's going to have to let one of them go."

"And she chose to let us go, why? She told me herself that she felt more at home here than she ever did in her own universe."

"She didn't choose to let us go, necessarily. Maybe she just wanted to find out if it was even possible. Don't give up hope."

Dustil smiled ruefully at her. "If I allow myself to have hope, my heart will break even more completely when everything I've hoped for is shattered before my eyes."

Mission's eyes widened. "Wow. Nice rhetoric. Still, I know what you mean. Just… don't let your hopelessness stop you from trying." With that, she gave him a small smile, turned and left the cockpit.

**A/N: End of another chapter! Let me know what you thought of it! Hopefully I'll get back to you sometime tomorrow, though I've got some physics research I need to do, so no promises. Friday at the latest! (Also did any of you watch Agents of Shield last night? Coulson is the best :P) **

**Anyway, I'll let you go. I'm sure you have more important things to do than listen to me fangirl. Bye!**

**-Athena**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Don't own stuff. All hail the great LucasArts, etc. etc. **

**A/N: Hey again! I got bored so I'm posting another chapter. I'll probably end up doing once a day until I run out, 'cause I'm still writing the thing. As I mentioned before, the chapters are a bit shorter (or a lot shorter, in the case of this one) but I'll have longer ones sometimes. If Gideon seems a little vague at first... it's because he's meant to be. You're not meant to know all about him until a lot later. Anywayyyy, I'll let you all get to reading. Have fun and such. Huzzah and all that. **

Chapter 2: Gideon

Gideon watched Mission walk away, as relieved as he was apprehensive. He had managed to convince her that his memory loss was still present, and that his memories were returning in small chunks as opposed to one massive tidal wave like they had in reality. But, assuming his memories were true (and given where he was right now, he wouldn't be altogether surprised if they weren't), his current position made no sense. He remembered Thalia May, Mission Vao, and a few others he knew by sight from the Sith academy. He had no doubt that they would have no memory of him, though he had seen a flash of recognition in Mission's face before she turned away. But if she had recognized him, maybe that meant she had seen Claire. His sister had disappeared more than two years ago, true, but she had to be around somewhere. If she wasn't… why had he been sent in the first place?

Why The Messengers had been one of the only things he remembered at the beginning, he had no idea. Well, he supposed, he did think about it rather a lot. He was, after all, the author of the darn thing. And when Claire had disappeared he'd lost a damn good editor, too. He'd lost a lot more than that, but… he tried not to think about it. It hurt too much. The only thing he had left was clinging to his undying belief that his little sister. was. not. dead. And he would find her if it was the last thing he ever did, even if it took him the rest of his life.

And now he was here. There had to be a reason for that. And the reason had to be Claire. It made no sense otherwise.

His goal now: keep Mission and anyone else who asked him questions in the dark. He had no doubt that they would probably be able to help him, but he didn't want to run the risk of trusting them too quickly. He hated to be so paranoid, but he couldn't do anything else, really. For all he knew, this was some sort of trap. It might as well be, going by how little sense it made.

For now, he would recover physically and pretend to be trying to recover mentally while failing miserably. He couldn't afford for them to find out who he really was. He had far too much to lose to allow that to happen.

**A/N: Yeah, like I said, really short and vague. If you have questions, put them in a review or a PM and I'll PM you a response or a reason why I won't give you a response, depending on the question. You all are the best, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing (also following/favoriting, but reviews are the best). Happy day! See you all next time I update! (And I mean it, if you review I will love you forever and get this happy bubbly feeling inside, etc.) Bye!**

**-Athena**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: It's the same story every time, and it always begins with the same four words-I don't own this. (Props if anyone gets that reference) **

**A/N: Here's another chapter before I go to dinner. This goes a little bit more into my Revan and her past-seen from Dustil's perspective. If it seems a little random that she would be telling him this stuff, it's because she's trying to help him learn from her experiences. Or something to that effect. Anyway. Happy reading!**

Chapter 10: Dustil

He spent the next few days alternating between sleeping, monitoring the cockpit, and meditating in the cargo hold. Ever since it had been discovered he was Force-sensitive, he had been trained in the ways of the Sith-all about emotion, passion, hatred and fear. After that kind of training… learning the ways of the Jedi had been all but impossible. Scratch that: it was impossible. Revan, during the year she had been around, had taken it upon herself to train him-without the approval of the Jedi Council. Jolee Bindo had helped, but a large portion of his training had been done by Revan. Often, she would mention her regret that Bastila was dead: she could have helped, having seen both the dark and the light. Athena, who was often present for these things, would turn her head away, often leaving the room for minutes at a time, whenever Bastila was mentioned.

Dustil knew how she must have felt: he had been there too. There was nothing else she could have done, he told her. She never believed him.

He had never blamed her for it. He never could have. From where he was standing, it wasn't her fault-just an accident. She blamed her anger, her paranoia, her fear. She said the sword had acted on her emotions, doing what she didn't have the guts to do. But he had started to wonder… was the sword's action her fault? She had told him it was influenced by the power of the Force. Every Force-sensitive person in the near vicinity had to have felt the strong dark presence of the Star Forge. Perhaps it had influenced the sword somehow, making it… well, if one can give a sword personality… more evil. More violent. Maybe the sword, not Athena, had killed Bastila.

He didn't know. It didn't really matter now. As he pushed the thought from his mind, trying to meditate in the cargo hold, he clung to Revan's teachings. _Balance_, she had told him. _Balance is the key. The Jedi are purists. They seek to free themselves not only from fear and pain, but from joy and love, from any emotion. They don't understand those they seek to help, because their goal is to remove themselves from emotion. They see it as beneath them. They cannot possibly provide aid when their goal is to rise above the problems of 'lesser mortals'._ These last words were said with a bitterness that surprised Dustil._ That is why I defied their orders. They saw further casualties in the future. I saw that they could be prevented now. I felt the agony of those whose families died every day, and the Jedi did nothing. And I could not convince them otherwise. I needed to find peace, they told me. But I couldn't. How could I? People were dying, and I could save them. I could not find peace while sitting in idleness. I could do something. So I did. And I was outcast._

_But the Sith… the Sith are needlessly evil. All they seek is to destroy, to rule, to conquer. As Malak did._ Her eyes were filled with a faraway sadness._ Alek… He was my best friend once… like a brother to me. The Dark Side twisted him until… I couldn't even recognize him. Killing him… it hurt me. But it had to be done. Because I could feel every single living soul that would die if I didn't. And all those deaths, all that blood, would be on my hands._

Her memories had been returning, he knew. She had spoken more often of her past, of why she made the choices she made when she was Revan, and even Darth Revan.

_When Malak and I returned from the Unknown Regions… we were different. Twisted. The Dark Side had corrupted us. We sought the Star Forge for the same reason every Sith seeks power-to conquer and destroy. But somehow… a small part of the Revan who was remained behind. And she was the one who decreed my battle tactics._

_There was a greater threat. One even greater than the Mandalorians. And I knew that sooner or later, that threat would strike at the Republic. So I did what Jedi Revan would have done, but… more calculating. I was willing to make so many sacrifices for 'the greater good'... sometimes I wonder if victory could have been achieved, and if it would have been worth the great loss I inflicted on the galaxy. But I sought to help the Republic defend itself, in a strange, twisted way. My tactics were intended, not to wreak havoc and destruction across the galaxy, but to make it stronger, to force them to strengthen their defenses for fear of me or to conquer it and do it for them, so that later, when the true threat came, they would be prepared. But then the Jedi took me, and that ruined everything. Even before that, Malak had started to take matters into his own hands. He preserved far less of his old self than I did. Telos…_ a bitter, crushing sadness filled her eyes,_ Telos was the first to fall to his mercilessness_. A rueful smile took its place._ When I reprimanded him, he accused me of being weak and we fought. He lost his jaw in the duel._

Dustil allowed himself a small smile as he recalled his utter disbelief in that moment. For ages, he had blamed Revan for the destruction of his home, and now he had learned that she hadn't wanted it destroyed at all-had in fact punished Malak for ordering the bombardment.

Now, of course, he saw that Athena had been right about Revan-both Revan and Caeli, and even Darth Revan as well, to some extent. Revan had meant well-had, perhaps, been right to do what she did in defying the Council. Darth Revan… she had done many things that were unforgivable for what she called 'the greater good'. But there was always room for redemption in her heart, provided the right catalyst. And Caeli… Caeli was a good person, the person who had saved his father, as well as the rest of the galaxy.

He stood up from his meditation, preparing to head back to the cockpit and check on the autopilot again, when he stumbled. Something had flashed before his eyes, a brief vision, and even as he regained his balance, it struck him again. He could feel himself falling but didn't feel his knees hit the floor. He was already gone.

_He looked up from the ground, saw a figure robed in black, twin lightsabers grasped in its hands, surrounded by enemies… he had to assume they were Sith. As he watched, the besieged figure raised its hand and a wave of pure energy shot out, blasting everyone and everything within ten feet of it backwards. All of them fell to the ground, stunned, and Dustil had a clear look at the figure who was under attack._

_A black and red mask, black leather boots, armor mixed with robes, the hood pulled up, but not preventing a few strands of red hair from escaping. Twin lightsabers-orange and bronze-gold, shimmering in the gauntleted hands. He knew who it was… but at the same time he didn't. The robes said Darth Revan. The lightsabers said Caeli Jayde. Which one was she?_

_Judging by the figures attacking her… he hoped she was still Caeli. Unless this was a vision from the past… but if that was the case, how had she obtained those lightsabers? She had bought the crystals (as well as a cyan one and a silver one) on the Yavin space station shortly after returning from the Star Forge system. She'd helped the owner of the station drive off some Trandoshans and he'd rewarded her with access to his special items. But if this was the present and this was Caeli… what was she doing? Why was she dressed like Darth Revan? Although, he supposed Revan had donned the mask during the Mandalorian Wars. Perhaps she was trying to strike fear into the hearts of the Sith. And where was Athena?_

_He hoped against hope that she hadn't been defeated or captured. Maybe Revan had left her somewhere safe and gone on by herself. Yes, that made sense. The note she had left for his father had said that she was going 'to a place where she could not take anyone she loved.' If she had taken Athena with her, wouldn't that defeat the purpose?_

_He tried not to think of the other possibility: that Athena was gone, that Revan had already figured out a way to send her home and had done so. That he would never see the girl he loved again…_

Dustil snapped awake. A face was looming over him, but not the face he had expected.

"I just found you on the floor of the cargo hold," said Gideon. "So I moved you to the medbay. Are you all right?"

Dustil nodded wordlessly, staring at Gideon. After an awkward pause, he decided he'd better say something. "Unexpected, really powerful Force vision. I, uh, I need to talk to Mission." Despite the pounding in his head, probably from the combination of hitting the ship floor and the vision, he swung his legs off the medbay cot and went off in search of the Twi'lek.

**A/N: So, watcha thinking? I'm excited 'cause it's finally the weekend and my friends and I are going to finish out Firefly marathon tomorrow! Also I found out my physics professor plays SWTOR. See, on the front of my physics journal (where we do practice problems) I have my name in English and Aurebesh, and he noticed and asked me about it. So yeah, I feel pretty awesome right about now. Anyway, have a great day! I'll see you all soon. Hope to get reviews from at least some of you :D!**

**-Athena**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: If you don't know this by now, you're an idiot or you've been skipping the disclaimer or you don't know what disclaimer means. Don't own this XP **

**A/N: Hi again! I've been a bit busy the past few days, what with physics, but I had a few spare moments, so here I am. (I've started working on this really difficult problem that apparently no one's gotten right in the past five years or so, and if one person in the class gets it right, the professor is giving us all extra credit. Challenge accepted). Anyway, here, have some Athena! Figure you have a right to know what's happening to her a little bit, at least. Have fun!**

Chapter 11: Athena

"This. Damn. Planet!" I shouted at the walls, throwing the nearest object I could find (a table leg) against them. There was no response. That was to be expected.

To be completely honest, as pretty as it was, I'd hoped never to see the Godforsaken place again. And now, of course, in a twisted… well, twist, of irony, I was trapped here. Damn wonderful, that's what that was. Note the sarcasm.

I kept telling her to take me with her. I told her she'd be in danger if she went alone, she'd get in trouble, she'd do something stupid, or, God forbid, something canonical would happen and she'd get captured. Although, canon was basically out the window in ashes at this point, so I wasn't too worried about it, but it was still a possibility, canon or not.

"What do you expect me to do while you're off saving the damn galaxy again, huh?" I again demanded of the walls. Still no response. "Sure, the planet's pretty, but you can only spend so much time exploring. And this fucking temple is just getting on my nerves! And what am I supposed to eat? Wild rancors? Gizka? God, if you get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you. If you never come back… I'll kill you anyway, because, God…" My sentence trailed off in a string of cuss words mixed with frustrated sobbing.

I'd been trapped in the Temple of the Ancients (well not exactly trapped, there were no force fields, but I didn't really want to venture out just yet—that was a last resort) for...I'd lost track of how long. During that time, I'd meditated. And trained myself, practicing on whatever I could find, tables, chairs (hence the broken table leg I'd thrown at the wall). And meditated some more. She'd left me a store of food in the basement, but that was bound to run out eventually. I'd cut myself down to two small meals a day, so I was constantly at least a little bit hungry, which made me even more pissed off. For the first few days, I'd tried using the Jedi Code (there is no emotion, there is peace, there is peace, there is—ah, fuck it), but that had failed to do me any good whatsoever. I should probably also mention that my swearing capacity increases exponentially when I'm alone and pissed off. Therefore, solitude was doing me no good whatsoever.

Beneath all the layers of 'pissed.' there was also a layer of 'worried.' What if something happened to Caeli? What if she was captured or, God forbid, killed? What would happen to me if she never came back?

I'll probably starve to death, was the cynical reply. Even more alone than I was before, another part of me added. At that, I felt a sense of righteous indignation. She'd taken me with her because she'd said that she was going to try to find a way to get me back home. And then we'd come to this planet, which I'd assumed we'd be using as a base of operations. But after a few months of her meditating and being antisocial, trying to find the solution, she'd started having nightmares. She'd been having them for ages, apparently, but never enough so that I would notice. Then they became so bad that she woke me every night with her screaming, even if she was sleeping on the other end of the temple. I tried to ask if she wanted my help, but I figured when she brushed me off that she had just gotten used to being antisocial. I should have known it was more than that.

The thing was, in all my eagerness to go home, and also my worry about leaving everyone I loved here behind, I had completely forgotten the most important thing, the thing that had gotten me through everything so far—the plot. Revan left to solve the problem of the Sith threat. A problem she –canonically, he, but we don't talk about that—had discovered in the Unknown Regions. Something that she had become aware of as Darth Revan, something that was now coming back to her in the form of nightmares.

She became even more isolated than before; I wouldn't see her for days on end. Sometimes I could hear her screaming from nightmares, or she would lock herself in the temple catacombs, 'meditating'... but if that was meditating I wanted none of it. It sounded like she was being tortured or something. Oh, and she also locked me out whenever she was in there. It frustrated me to no end. I wanted nothing more than to help my friend, and she wouldn't even let me do that.

After weeks of wondering what was going on down there, I remembered the reason I had come here in the first place-the Council (what was left of it) had broken their promise. I remembered the conversation…

_"We have searched for an answer to your problem," said Master Vandar as I stood before what remained of Dantooine's Jedi Council-namely, Vandar and Vrook._

_"There is no record in the archives, even on Coruscant, of travel between universes, as you put it," Vrook finished Vandar's sentence. "Without knowing the cause, we have no hope of finding the solution."_

_"But there has to be a way-can't you meditate on it or something? Search the Force for answers?" I was desperate. I had found a family here, it was true. But the fact remained that I had been brutally ripped from my life back home. My family, my friends, even my pet bird… they had no idea what had happened to me, and at this rate, they never would. And I would never see them again. I wasn't ready to face something like that._

_"The only way to do this would be deep meditation, the descent of one's mind into the heart of the Force. No Jedi Master has successfully accomplished this in the history of the Order. Those who have tried-the strongest of the Masters, the best our Order had to offer-were destroyed or driven to madness. None of us can match their power or strength. We would surely be destroyed."_

_I had left feeling crushed. Caeli had found me brooding in a corner, watching the fountains in the garden outside the Temple._

_"You all right?"_

_I looked up, meeting her eyes. "The Council won't try to send me home. I-I mean, I understand why, they say even finding the answers would kill them, but… I'd hoped… And I'm so worried… none of them know where I am or what happened to me, and I don't want them to suffer. I'd love to see them, of course, but I'm more worried about what my disappearance has done to them. And if they go the rest of their lives, never knowing..."_

_Caeli nodded, her face darkening. "I know how you feel. As a child, I-Revan-was taken from my family. I had, shall we say, stronger ties to them than most young Jedi do. I formed ties at the Temple, made friends. But my thoughts constantly returned to my family. I was forbidden from seeing them until the Mandalorian Wars. Even that, strictly speaking, wasn't allowed. I was told not to contact them-the Masters saw my emotional attachment as a weakness that need to be exterminated. They believed separation would do it. It didn't._

_"When I returned for my family, the war had already been raging for months. I-I found the planet destroyed." She paused to take a deep breath. "I know why the Jedi forbid love. I understand. Because I swore revenge on the Mandalorians that day. And when the opportunity came, when I could take revenge and save the Republic and prevent thousands from dying… I took it. I hunted them into the dark of the Unknown Regions. But then… the darkness found me." She paused again. "But you know that. I just… the survivors from my planet… they told me my family never forgot me. They always hoped to see me again, saving the galaxy or doing whatever Jedi do. But because I was forced to leave them behind… they never will." She looked me in the eye. "I don't leave people I love behind, Athena. Because if I'm gone, and something happens to the people I care about… I will blame myself for not being there. And the consequences of that… could be astronomical."_

_I nodded. I wasn't sure where this was going, but an insight into Revan's past-this Revan-was something I'd been hoping for but afraid to ask about. Caeli wasn't the type to display weakness if she could help it. Considering what had happened to her, though-everything between her forced abandonment of her family to the discovery of her true identity-sometimes she couldn't help it. And I didn't blame her. Somehow, it made her seem… more human. I'd known her as a legend, a hero. I had idolized her. But now here she was… as human as I was. Her abilities, her strength, her power, all these were extraordinary, but at her core, she was human. And I appreciated her being willing to reveal that to me._

_"What I'm saying, Athena," Caeli spoke again, cutting off my train of thought, "is that I won't let the Jedi cut you off from your family like they did to me. If they won't find you a way home… I will. I swear it."_

At the time I had appreciated it beyond words. But… if she was doing what the Council had warned against, if she was hurting herself for my benefit… I wasn't sure I wanted to go home anymore. Not at that cost.

And then one day, she was gone. I didn't notice it right away, I'm almost ashamed to admit. But she had been so prone to isolation that I didn't expect to see her, so when I didn't, it was no surprise. But I felt that something was off. It was only later, when I had started meditating again, listening to the silence, that I realized what it was. The silence. The Temple, which had been so filled with her screams and cries for days, was completely silent. Abandoning my meditation, I dashed around looking for her, running first to the catacombs. When I found them unlocked and abandoned, I hastened to the summit, which was also deserted. I searched every single room in that damn temple, disregarding fatigue, disregarding my growing fear, disregarding everything until I reached the entrance again having found no trace of her. That was when I allowed myself to collapse, my breathing a combination of panting and frustrated sobbing, because I knew she had left. And so I had been left alone, for who knew how long. More alone than I had ever been or probably ever would be again. With no hope of escape, salvation, or any other thing of the sort. I had lost all hope.

For lack of anything else to do, I continued my own training, meditating for longer stretches of time, trying to strengthen my connection to the Force. Caeli had warned me that since I wasn't naturally Force-sensitive-whatever that meant-it could be dangerous to overexert my Force potential. I didn't care. It was something I could be doing. And maybe, if I grew strong enough… I could start doing what she'd been doing, what the Council had warned against. If no one else was going to find my way home, I was going to do it myself.

**A/N: This cake is really good. German chocolate or something like that. Yum. **

**Anyway, what did you think? Hope you're liking it so far! Leave a review if you've got time!**

**-Athena**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I'm fresh out of clever things to put here... so not mine. **

**A/N: I'm back with another chapter! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write at all in like a week, so I'm quickly catching up to the point where the chapters I've posted and the chapters I've written are the same. Hopefully I'll be able to do some writing over fall break (this coming weekend!) but I'm also going to Washington DC to visit my brother, so we'll see. Anyway, happy reading for now at least!**

Chapter 12: Mission

She was keeping an eye on the cockpit when Dustil walked in. She glanced at him briefly, looked back at the console, then looked back at Dustil.

"Wow…" she said. "You look like hell. What happened?"

Dustil squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Force vision."

Mission sat straight up attentively. "What did you see?"

"Caeli. Revan. I don't know."

"What?"

"Revan's robes, Caeli's lightsaber," Dustil clarified. "Fighting a bunch of Sith."

"And Athena?"

He shook his head, looking at the ground. "No sign of her."

Mission was quick to jump to his aid, wanting to give him hope. "Caeli probably just left her somewhere safe and went on without her. She did say she had a mission, somewhere she couldn't take anyone she loved. That's probably what happened, don't worry about it."

"No, I do worry about it," Dustil countered. "Revan wasn't planning to return from the mission. If she also wanted to help Athena get home… she would have done that first."

"Don't, Dustil," Mission said sharply. "Just don't. Don't let yourself get all hopeless, we both know it won't do any good. Right now… we just need to focus. We need to get Gideon to Telos, train him a bit, make sure he's got some experience, and by then maybe he'll know where his sister is and we can find her."

"Yes, but that doesn't bring us any closer to finding Athena or even knowing if she's still here!" Dustil sounded desperate. "I can't stand just doing nothing, sitting here, not knowing if… if I'll ever see her again," he finished quietly.

"Something is telling me this is what we need to be doing," Mission told him. "Somehow, finding Gideon's sister will help lead us to Caeli and Athena. Maybe she has some sort of special skill, maybe she'll be able to find them in the Force, I don't know. Maybe she and Gideon together will be able to track them down. There's no way of telling what it will be, but doing what we're doing right now is going to get us there sooner or later."

"It'd better." Dustil's voice was low. Mission would have called it threatening if it wasn't so devoid of hope. "If I never see her again…" He trailed off for a few moments before he spoke again, louder this time. "Damn it, Mission, I loved her." His voice was trembling, she realized. Looking into his face, she saw his eyes glistening with tears. "And she left… without even saying goodbye. All my father got was a note. I didn't even get that." He turned and left the cockpit, probably trying to hide his obvious grief, Mission thought. She'd leave him alone for now. But all the same, she knew, somehow, that they were on the right track. Claire Stewart would be able to lead them to Caeli. Somehow.

**A/N: I know, that was a bit short again. I think they start getting longer soon... and as I continue writing, I'll try to pay attention to that. For now, just leave a review if you've got time! Hope you're all enjoying the story!**

**-Athena**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Lalalalala I'm in a really strange mood right now and I still don't own KotOR or KotOR 2 or any of that. **

**A/N: *whistling excitedly* yeah, really strange mood. Our physics lab was spent propping one end of a table on top of a large stack of books on top of a chair and hoping it didn't fall on us. That was exciting. And I'm also freaking out because of the new Hobbit trailer! (Especially Smaug's voice sdonhdovnsortweioeo Benedict Cumberbatch) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 13: Dustil

By the time he pulled in for a landing on Telos, Dustil was beyond ready to get off the ship. Much as he loved it, and really appreciated being able to roam the galaxy without having to borrow a ship from his father, he had felt… confined, in the last few days. Mostly he was feeling trapped by his vision of Revan, and the implications it held for what had happened to Athena. Mission's outlook was the most optimistic-they got considerably grimmer after that. And all of them were scenarios he didn't want. He had been counting on Athena having Caeli's protection-she was strong, but she couldn't face everything alone. But now he knew for sure Caeli wasn't with her, he was even more worried than he had been before.

He also was overrun by a sense of guilt, because, much as he wanted Athena to be safe, he would rather have her in danger and here than safe and at home. He felt incredibly guilty for thinking so selfishly, but really, could he help it? He loved the girl, for stars' sake, and she had left him without even a word or a sign of warning. He understood when Mission had explained to him why, and that should have made him feel better-that he had so much power over her decisions that if he had tried to convince her to leave her family and friends she would have done it-but it didn't. Because at the end of the day, she was still gone, without a word of goodbye.

And that was the other reason he wanted to visit Telos: because out of all the planets in the galaxy, Telos was home to the one person he knew for certain would understand exactly how he felt. Some people would tell him to move on, that it had been three years and it was time he let her go, that he was being stupid by holding on to her for so long. They would never understand why that look of sadness and pain came into his eyes every time her name was mentioned. But he knew the one person in the galaxy who understood how he felt-and felt the same way-was Admiral Carth Onasi, his father.

When Revan and Athena had left-as he had told Gideon Stewart-both he and his father had lost more than just friends. Their entire party had suffered, to be sure, but he didn't think he was exaggerating in saying that he and his father had suffered more than the rest. His father, perhaps, had suffered even more than he had. Because his father had loved, and lost, and sworn never to love again. But he loved again anyway. And then he lost her, as well. Dustil… he had lost his family as a young boy, but his reaction to that, encouraged by his Sith masters, had been anger at his father for failing to protect them when he should have. He had never before experienced the unbridled agony of losing someone he truly loved. And to have that person leave him voluntarily, not even out of necessity… it had hurt him more than he cared to admit.

Trying not to dwell on these thoughts, he contacted the port official asking for permission to land. One good thing about being his father's son was that he usually had access anywhere he wanted to go, at least in the Republic, simply by saying his name. Well, almost anywhere. And he had a lot of influence with people like port officials.

The official directed him to an open hangar, and Dustil pulled the Archangel in for a landing. He really should have thought of a different name for the ship. It reminded him too much of Athena-she had often talked about the holodramas (she called them TV shows) that she had liked to watch back home, and in one of them (called Supernatural, apparently) one of her favorite characters was called an Archangel. He had thought it sounded powerful, so had adopted it as the name of his ship. He remembered as clear as day Athena's brilliant smile and the way she had kissed him when he told her. And now, practically every waking moment, Dustil was confronted with something or other that reminded him all too painfully of the woman he loved.

He put the brakes on the ship, then motioned to Mission and Gideon as he passed through the main hold. Pushing the switch that would open the loading ramp, he waited, flanked by his friend and… well, their new acquaintance, until it had hit the hangar floor with a thunk. As he descended, however, he received a surprise that really shouldn't have been much of a surprise but was anyway. Admiral Onasi himself was waiting for them.

"Dustil," he greeted formally.

Dustil walked up to him, unsure of quite what to do. Finally, he elected to hold out his hand. Carth shook it, searching his face for a moment, before releasing his hand and pulling him into a hug. Dustil accepted the gesture without too much surprise. Relations between he and his father had been a little strained ever since their meeting on Korriban, but they were improving. Especially now that they had common ground based on Athena's and Caeli's departure. He still wasn't sure whether he was supposed to shake his father's hand or hug him when they met-apparently both-but he felt like he could talk to him now without the past getting in the way too much.

"Father," he said, "this is Gideon Stewart. He… appeared… on Korriban, outside one of the tombs. Thalia May and her crew picked him up."

Carth extended his hand to the newcomer. "Carth Onasi," he said.

"It's nice to meet you," Gideon replied politely. The look he gave Carth, though, was one of barely contained excitement. Dustil found this odd at first, but then remembered that his father was a war hero and there were probably thousands or millions of civilians out there who would kill for the chance to shake his hand.

Carth turned to Mission next, hugging her. "How are you?" His question was directed at all of them.

"We're okay, Carth," said Mission. "Gideon here… well, he has some martial arts experience, and a little bit with ranged weapons and swords, so… we were thinking we'd help him make sure his skills are up to the challenge of going out into the galaxy."

Carth paused for a moment. "May I ask why?"

Gideon answered this time. "My sister. She… she went missing, a couple years ago. I had no chance to look for her, but… recently, as you heard, I appeared on Korriban with no idea how I got there, and since then, I've been having… visions… of her. They're hazy, but growing clearer with time. I think, given enough time, I should be able to find out where she is and go after her. I think that's why I'm here. To find her."

Carth nodded. "I understand how you feel. Losing someone close to you…" he trailed off, that look of hurt back in his eyes before he blinked and it was gone. "I'll help you in any way I can. Citadel Station has banned the use of weapons by anyone except security and military personnel, but there may be a way you can work down in one of the Restoration Zones."

"Thanks, Carth." Mission shot him one of her winning smiles. "Come and visit, won't you?" She winked.

Dustil was comforted to see that his father allowed himself a small smile as he and Mission moved from the hangar, Dustil and Gideon trailing in their wake.

**A/N: So here we have a bit of Carth. He's not going to be in it very much (at least he's not as far as I am, he may show up more later) but he will be popping up from time to time. Because... Carth. So yeah. Not much more to say, so I'll say ta-ta for now and see you all tomorrow probably! Off to play some SWTOR I expect. **

**-Athena**


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: La dee da dee da dee da dee daaa... Never mind. I don't own this. **

**A/N: I'm extremely happy this morning because my 8am Calculus class got cancelled so I actually got to sleep! Yay. So here's another chapter. And I'll put up another one after this because this is short again. Enjoy!**

Chapter 14: Mission

Mission was beyond ecstatic to see Carth again, especially considering not-so-recent events which were still hurting him far more than should be allowed. He seemed like he was doing okay, under the circumstances. He certainly looked like he was sleeping more, he looked more physically healthy than she'd seen him in a while. Then again, it had been almost a year since she'd seen him last.

She and Dustil had been traveling the galaxy together, searching. Trying to find the tiniest scrap of a clue, anything to tell them where Caeli and Athena might have gone, other than the extremely vague 'the Unknown Regions' of her note to Carth. They'd found nothing. Not even the tiniest scrap of a hint. They'd searched all the planets where she'd been recently (it was like hunting the Star Maps all over again) but the only thing they'd found was that each and every Map had been destroyed. They assumed that it was Caeli's work, but that didn't tell them where she'd gone. From this information, though, they'd surmised that she was trying to destroy the last remnants of the Infinite Empire, and since the Star Forge was already destroyed, they didn't bother taking the week-long journey to Rakata Prime.

Dustil had related to Mission some of the things Caeli had told him about the time when she was Revan, and taking these into account, they had been able to piece together a general picture of where Revan had gone after the Mandalorian Wars. Unfortunately, the piece of information they needed the most (where in the Unknown Regions she had gone) constantly eluded them. She had chased the Mandalorians into the Unknown Regions after the Wars, where she had presumably found the reason behind their attack. She had been corrupted to the Dark Side and sent on a mission to recover the Star Maps and the Star Forge. Then she had set out on her campaign against the Republic before being captured by the Jedi. After that… well, they knew the story. They'd been there for most of it.

So, not knowing the planets she'd visited in the Unknown Regions, they'd started with the places she'd fought in the Mandalorian Wars (excluding Malachor V; the place had a creeptastic factor of twelve on a scale of one to ten). Nothing. Not a trace of Revan or Caeli or Athena or anything to do with the pair of them.

More than once, it had occurred to Mission that maybe what they were missing could be found on the planets they had skipped, but she dismissed the theory. Based on what they'd figured out, she would have no reason to return to the Star Forge system. And Malachor V… well, they traveled there once, just to make sure, but once they caught a glimpse of the dead world… Mission couldn't imagine what she'd want there either.

Then they'd received the call from Thalia May, and the rest was history. Gideon, once they made sure he was adequately trained, would become one of them. And they would continue the search. She was still clinging to tiny threads of hope that finding Claire Stewart would provide them with some sort of lead… but Dustil's discouragement and despair was starting to rub off on her. She decided to try to focus on the now-one goal at a time. If she focused on the utter impossibility of their task, the long odds that were stacked against them, she could see why Dustil was so hopeless. She probably would be too. But for now, one thing at a time. Gideon had to be trained. And then, maybe… maybe he'd know where his sister was.

And maybe finding her would provide some answers. Mission sure as hell hoped so.

**A/N: So that's that. Just a little bit of background as to what they've been doing. Now on to the next chapter. **

**-Athena**


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

**A/N: In which things start happening. Here's your next chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 15: Gideon

Carth pulled some strings with the word 'Admiral' written all over them so that they would be able to take Gideon to one of the Restoration Zones to train him. They all had to sign long complicated contracts, which none of them actually read (Dustil skimmed over his-he seemed to be the responsible one) before they were allowed to take the shuttle down.

When they landed, Gideon couldn't help but be impressed. The area that had been allotted to them was equipped with a small building (it had been a small guard station-equipped with living quarters as well as storage space-but it was mostly cleared out for their convenience-they would use it as living quarters and sort of a base of operations), as well as a gun range and what looked like a makeshift arena for swordfighting and melee practice.

"Wow," he commented to Mission, "they sure set that up quick."

"Carth's name… motivates people," Mission agreed with a grin. "Get your stuff moved in and we'll get started."

They had each brought enough supplies to last about a week, after which they would return to Citadel Station to do necessary things like laundry before returning to base.

Since he had the most experience in that area, they decided to start with swords and melee combat. His first weapons experience in his new situation was sparring with Mission-apparently she wasn't as good as Dustil, and, as the latter said, "I didn't want to completely destroy you in your first match. Bad for morale."

Gideon laughed before seeing the expression on Dustil's face. He was serious. And, now that he thought about it, Gideon didn't doubt that Dustil could kill him without even breaking a sweat if he wanted to. Oh, shab. The Mando'a curse came more naturally to him than he had anticipated, not being accustomed to using the language in everyday life. Oh well, he supposed his life had just changed drastically in the space of… probably seconds. He didn't know how long it had taken him to appear on Korriban, as he had been unconscious during transit and for a week afterwards.

This wasn't the time to be worrying about that, though. He readied the vibroblade they had given him-much lighter than the swords he was used to working with, more the weight of a light foil than a broadsword. Mission, too, was holding her sword out in a battle stance, preparing to attack. As fast as light, she struck. He parried through sheer luck combined with basic instinct, which demanded he protect his face from being slashed by sharp objects. By some miracle, he managed to regain his balance enough to strike back at the Twi'lek. She parried his attacks, and he lunged at her, striking towards the base of her sword and twisting outwards. Her sword was flung out of his path, and before she could recover enough to block him, the tip of his blade was at her throat. Seeing that she had been defeated, she dropped her sword and raised her hands in surrender. Nodding at her in acknowledgement, he lowered the sword and stabbed it into the ground so that it quivered there, point down.

Mission whistled. "He's good," she said to Dustil. The other man just smirked.

"You've got experience, I can't deny that. I doubt you've had any in the field, though, am I right?"

Gideon nodded.

"You've got decent form, from what I can tell. You were taught well. The only way you'll improve is through practice. Fighting opponents who are better than you." He put emphasis on the last three words.

Gideon nodded again, with a slight knowing smirk on his face this time. He knew exactly to whom Dustil was referring.

And sure enough, a few minutes later (when the Force-user had healed a few minor cuts he had sustained from Mission's blade) he was facing Dustil across the sword arena, much more apprehensive this time. They had agreed that Dustil wasn't allowed to use the Force (they'd work on that later, he promised), but even without his powers, Carth's son was still a formidable opponent. He'd had training as a Dark Jedi, as well as years of experience in the field. Mission herself had admitted she was more of a blaster user than anything, preferring to keep her distance from enemies.

Dustil, of course, saw fit to take advantage of his distraction. He struck, and Gideon barely had time to get his sword up in time to parry. Dustil had attacked with such force that he stumbled backwards several steps, enabling the other man to continue pressing his attack, using Gideon's momentary disadvantage to benefit his own goals.

But Gideon was ready for him this time. He watched his opponent approaching him, remembering the techniques he had learned and trying to anticipate his movements. He succeeded. Dustil's next attack was met with a successful, even forceful, parry from his opponent. Gideon pushed back, moving to the offensive, not trying anything fancy, keeping it simple as he had learned. Dustil, on the other hand, could afford to be fancy: he had the advantage here, after all, and both men knew it. He pulled a complicated move, spinning while blocking Gideon's strikes behind his head, then swung his sword around full circle to strike Gideon's sword near the hilt. The force of the attack was enough to knock the sword out of Gideon's hand, and knowing he had been defeated, he raised his hands in surrender.

Dustil lowered his sword, offering Gideon his hand. The newcomer shook it, surprised.

"Well done," Dustil acknowledged. "Not many people can even last that long against me on their first try. You may not have field experience, but you've got enough training to get you by if you need to. We'll keep practicing of course, you'll have to fight a lot tougher opponents than me if we're going to go looking for Revan, but if we do get in a fight at all, you'll be able to hold your own. That's all I needed to know."

"So… what now?"

"I'd say we stay here, lie low for a while. It's not like we could do much if we left now anyway. We'll continue your training for a few months, and see if your visions get any clearer. Once you can tell where your sister is… we'll go."

"Just like that?"

Dustil nodded. "Just like that."

**A/N: Hope you guys liked it! Leave a review or something if you've got a few seconds. Even one word will do, as long as it makes sense (I've been around my friends too long not to make that specification-they'd probably just put 'bananas' or something and say 'well you said one word!') You're all amazing and I'll get back to you soon! Unfortunately I've just had a boatload of homework dumped on me and I'm going out of town for fall break, but I'll try to post again by sometime next week. **

**-Athena**


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